Delightful Delicata Squash & Sweet Potato Soup

Who doesn’t love fall, and all the comfort foods that go with it? This is a soup recipe that features a few of the delights of this wonderful season such as squash, sweet potatoes, and dried herbs from the garden. No dairy is needed to make this soup rich and creamy thanks to the toasted hazelnuts. This recipe is worth every minute of cooking time to get to sit down to a cozy and flavorful bowl of homemade soup.

Ingredients

1 medium Delicata squash, peeled and diced (or other squash such as butternut)

1 medium sweet potato, peeled and diced

1 small, or 1/2 large onion, diced

2-3 cloves garlic

1 pear, chopped

1/4 cup hazelnuts

3 Tbsp olive oil

1/4 tsp dried thyme + 1/4 tsp "Poultry Seasoning"

1 cup vegetable broth

2 cups water

1/3 cup orange juice

Method

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 400º F. Prepare your squash and sweet potato accordingly (peel and dice), and toss the pieces with 1 Tbsp olive oil. Roast in the oven on a pan for about 25 minutes. The pieces will continue cooking once added to the soup pot.

Step 2

While the squash and sweet potato are roasting, add 2 Tbsp olive oil to a soup pot along with the garlic (either leave as a whole clove smashed, or mince it) and onion. Cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes, and then add the pear, stir, and continue cooking for 5 more minutes or until soft.

Step 3

After your oven veggies are done roasting, set the oven temperature to 350º F. Add the vegetable broth, water, spices, and roasted veggies to the soup pot. Simmer for 15-20 minutes.

Step 4

While the soup is cooking, use a small pan to toast the hazelnuts in the oven for 5-8 minutes, being careful not to burn them. After removing the nuts from the oven, try to remove the skins as best as you can.

Step 5

Remove the hazelnuts from the oven and the pot from the stove. In small batches, blend your soup mixture with the hazelnuts until you get a creamy consistency. Note: for a chunky/hearty soup, only blend half the soup mixture while leaving the rest in the pot. Return the soup to the pot and add the orange juice, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir well and heat before serving.